Beyond the Case
by Beyond Life
Summary: It's been one year since Beyond Birthday was caught, and he's in rough shape...can L do anything to help?
1. Introduction

Hello, all. It's been a while since I've written anything on here...but BondSlave requested I do another story of their design, and this is a bit of a rushed intro for it. I'm not sure if I like it or if I should scrap it and try again.

So, BondSlave, and everyone else who happens to read this, let me know what you think so far.

* * *

Tears ran down Beyond Birthday's bandaged face as he tried to scream. All that escaped his lips was a low, hoarse shell of a scream.

"What's the matter? Can't fight back?" The orderly grinned sadistically, slamming his fist into Beyond's gut once more.

Choking on the dry heave, Beyond shut his eyes and tried to make it all go away. Tried to go back to a better time. When it was him and L in a battle of wits. That couldn't have been less than a year ago…and his wounds still hadn't healed. He let out another tortured scream as he snapped back to reality.

"Oh, look what I've got here." The orderly reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small kitchen knife, eyes glinting as he stared into Beyond's own. "I bet you wish you had one of these."

Beyond stared at the blade in horror, chest heaving, heart pounding. He didn't deserve this. No one deserved this hell.

"Oh well…" The orderly smirked. "Looks like today isn't your lucky day, friend."

"N-no…please…" Beyond managed to croak out, blinking back tears.

But the man didn't listen, raising the knife far above his head. "This is for that little girl!" The knife shot down, straight through his left hand, getting stuck in the bed below it.

Beyond Birthday screamed for all he was worth.

* * *

L fell out of his chair, screaming. He hit his head on the floor and groaned, rubbing it. Nightmares…again… He stood slowly, dusting himself off and looking at the tray Watari had left on the side table for him. Taking his place back in the soft armchair, he automatically dumped many sugar cubes into the now cold cup of coffee, stirring them into it with a peppermint stick. It had been a year now. Exactly a year since he and Naomi Misora had captured Beyond Birthday. And ever since, he'd been haunted by images…terrible images.

B. Abused in the very hospital that was meant to heal him. He'd seen terrifying things. Beyond unwrapped, burnt to a crisp, bleeding, dying, crying out for L to save him…

The door behind L opened, and Watari's head poked inside. "Nightmares again, Ryuzaki?"

L nodded, not looking back and sipping on the coffee. He grimaced and set it back down, adding more sugar. He waited a minute or two, just stirring. Then. "Watari…?"

"Yes, Ryuzaki?"

"I believe…I should visit B."

"I think that can be arranged." Watari nodded. "When?"

"Tomorrow…as soon as we can get there." L took another sip of the coffee, then drained it, staring at the ring in the bottom of it with his large, dark eyes. "It's late…get some sleep, Watari…I'll be fine…" It was Beyond they should worry about.


	2. Chapter 1

I'm glad to see the positive feedback so far, and I'm happy to present chapter one of Beyond the Case.

And make sure to check out BondSlave's version here: .net/s/5865121/1/Beyonds_Burden

Without her, you wouldn't be reading this.

* * *

The next day…just after a flight to the US…

L practically leapt into the passenger seat of the van that waited for them in front of the terminal, sucking nervously on a lollipop as he waited for Watari to circle the vehicle and climb inside. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. He had made sure to send Beyond to a good hospital…one that would treat him right until he could be moved to jail…

They didn't speak as they drove. Watari knew better than to think he could interrupt L's thoughts.

If they were abusing him, there was no choice. L would have to remove B from them. There would be no exceptions, no paperwork, no waiting. He would talk care of him back at HQ…though he prayed it would not come to that. Dwelling on these thoughts, the ride seemed to take ages, though the hospital had only been on the other side of the city. Half an hour's drive from the airport at the most…

Finally, they arrived and L jumped out of the van, walking inside quickly. He stepped up to the desk, and the middle-aged woman sitting behind it looked at him solemnly. "Can I help y- hey!"

L ignored her, jumping over the desk with surprising grace and thumbing through the book of patients. He nodded, finding B's room in the book and hurrying to the elevator.

As the doors closed, he saw Watari step up to the desk, probably stopping the angry woman from calling security on him. Pressing the button marked '1B,' he waited for the elevator to descend impatiently, squeezing through the doors as soon as they started to open. He hurried down the hallway, noting the numbers on each door, all roman numerals, and stopping in front of one. Room XX. He turned the door knob, stepping into the room and seeing two orderlies and one fully-bandaged patient. One of the orderlies turned to look at him. The other didn't notice, holding a tray of food in front of the patient. "Whoops." He tossed it aside, smirking. "I guess you can go another day without it. Eh, Beyond?"

L growled, stepping into the main room. The first orderly looked at him. "Hey! You can't come in here. This is a private room." He motioned toward L, reaching to grab him when he didn't stop.

L instinctively ducked, then kicked upward, nailing the man in the chin and knocking him over backward.

"Hey! What the hell?" The other man grabbed a steak knife off the cart, trying to threaten him. L stepped toward him and caught his wrist as he swung, using the man's own weight to swing him forward, head-first into a support beam. The man collapsed, unconscious.

Stepping over to the bandaged man, L looked at his eyes, the only thing he could see. It was B…no denying it. "Are you hurt?"

Beyond stared up at L with disbelief. Of all the people to come into the room and save him, L was the last person he would ever expect. When the question was repeated, he broke his silence. Trying to answer and nodding his head yes. Every inch of him ached with the movement.

"Can you walk?"

Beyond shook his head. His wounds had barely healed. They'd only done enough to keep him alive in his hellish year here.

L nodded. "Then I guess we'll have to improvise…" He grabbed the steak knife up from aside the orderly's body and cut the bindings holding Beyond to the bed. He wheeled the cart over, knocking off the rest of its contents aside from what looked like medicine and painkillers, setting those on the shelf below. "This is going to hurt a bit…" L took a deep breath, then put an arm under Beyond's back, and one under his legs, lifting him for just a few seconds as he moved him over to the cart.

Beyond winced, his eyes shut tight. It hurt, but he was in such a daze from the lack of food and all that had happened it seemed somewhat lessened.

Moving around behind the cart, L pushed it out of the room, shutting the door behind him and heading back for the elevator. Unopposed, they rode up to the main floor and L found Watari waiting.

"We must go, Ryuzaki. There's a private plane waiting for us back at the airport, and our friend at the desk has agreed not to mention any of this."

L looked at the woman, and nodded, ignoring the look in her eyes. "Let's go." Together the two got Beyond out of the hospital, and lifted the cart up into the back of the van, L staying there to keep Beyond from rolling around as Watari drove.

As the van started moving, L took a deep breath, realizing he was now gnawing on a clean lollipop stick. He spit it out and looked at his former replacement. Helpless, hurt. He couldn't imagine the horrors he must have lived through.

As Beyond's eyes met L's once again, he couldn't help but feel a number of things. That his savior really cared about him. That he wouldn't let him be moved to another terrible hospital. That things were finally looking up after all this time…

Very gently, so that he was barely touching him, L patted B's shoulder. "It's going to be alright…I promise." And with those words, Beyond smiled, a hidden, painful smile behind his bandages, and drifted off into a well-deserved rest.


End file.
